Dirty Pennies Theatre Project and Theatre Works proudly present the world premiere of Lemon Tree on Dreg Street by Amy May Nunn at Theatre Works, as part of the 2023 Midsumma Festival from 27 January.
Complete with a community of wonderfully oddball characters, the story of Lemon Tree on Dreg Street centres around Twiglet and Boots, who live in a ramshackle house on the outskirts of suburbia.
With their home, and the buildings around them, just waiting to be gobbled up by developers, the pair is determined to make the most of Summer while they can.
But with an old Possum marrying their lemon tree, a vagabond Cowgirl officiating the ceremony, and a Vulture circling the property, things are bound to get interesting…
Incorporating music, ritual and revelry, this joy filled premiere season is a heart-on-its-sleeve ode to those who slip through the cracks, a love letter to the places we make sacred, and a celebration of the deep human need for belonging.
“What makes this show different is the unusual balance it strikes between innocence and grit,” explains writer Amy May Nunn.
“There’s a wonderfully rich tapestry of poetry, music, and storytelling weaving in and out of the play. A friend of mine described it as “Urban Queer A.A. Milne” and there’s definitely something in that.”
It has a kind of grown-up storybook feeling. I’ve always been drawn to heightened worlds that are fantastical and complex, like Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are,” said Nunn.
“I think audiences will be surprised and delighted by the characters’ heightened personalities, hilarious ways of expressing themselves, and slightly left-of-reality existence,” adds Director Miranda Middleton.
“We’ve got a remarkable team of creatives on board and we’re all working to create a piece like nothing you’ve seen before, whilst also adding to the tapestry of epic and quintessentially Australian plays,” said Middleton.
Launched in 2017, Dirty Pennies Theatre Project is a Naarm/Melbourne-based company dedicated to the fostering and development of new work with a particular focus on women, non-binary and queer voices, accessibility and daring.
Their ethos is rooted in a shared passion for the art of theatre making and work that asks something more of an audience than to simply be entertained.
Realised by a team of queer, gender-diverse, and racially diverse creatives, this Midsumma Festival audiences are invited to celebrate a wedding like no other. Featuring original music by Composer Oliver Beard, Lemon Tree on Dreg Street is a surprising and heart warming addition to the 2023 Theatre Works Season, not to be missed.
Director: Miranda Middleton | Featuring: Ayesha Harris-Westman, Ziggy Resnick, Michelle Perera, Alex Donnelly, Milo Hartill | Set and Costume Design: Casey Harper-Wood | Lighting Design: Aron Murray | Composition/Sound Design: Oliver Beard | Stage Management: Brigette Jennings | Writer: Amy May Nunn | Producer: Danielle Goder
Lemon Tree on Dreg Street
Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Season: 28 January – 4 February 2023 (preview: 27 January)
Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
For more information, visit: www.dirtypenniestheatreproject.com for details.
Image: Ayesha Harris-Westman stars in Lemon Tree on Dreg Street – photo by Underground Media